St Ives
by TenTooInTheTARDIS
Summary: Rose Tyler is finally taking well deserved vacation. The Doctor never lets a vacation day go to waste. They happen to end up on the same trip. AU
1. Chapter 1

Rose Tyler sighed as she walked in to the coffee shop, in for another dull day.  
She walked behind the counter and put on her apron, taking her place behind the cash register. She began taking orders and names with a sunny smile on her face. The shop was a little slow today. The only thing worse than a busy day was a slow day in Rose's mind. She did enjoy her job, she liked working with people and her coworkers, Donna and Mickey, were great. She didn't need to work, not really. Pete Tyler, Rose's father, was richer than God himself and would have taken care of her finances without batting an eye. She didn't want that, though. Rose had her own flat, which she paid for with money from this very job. She liked a sense of responsibility, she liked being able to take care of herself. Her mum had been insisting that she take a vacation soon, said she's been working far too long and hard. Rose was just to the point of relenting. Pete and Jackie wanted to pay for a week long vacation to St Ives beach (and Rose was pretty certain that Jackie had already booked her room at the Salt House). Rose had decided today that she'd agree.

The bell on top of the door jingled, and Rose glanced up. A tall man with wild hair and an even wilder grin bounced in. He wore a long trench coat and a slightly ill-fitting suit. When his bright eyes landed on Rose, he positively beamed. She smiled back reflexively.

"Hello," he said brightly.

"Hello," Rose responded, her grin widening.

He ordered his coffee, something with way too much chocolate and sugar for a grown man, but that was neither here nor there.

"What's your name?" she asked, his cup and a marker in hand.

"The Doctor," he said with a straight face. Rose arched an eyebrow.

"The Doctor?" she asked. What sort of name was that?

"Yes, that's me. The Doctor," he said, beaming at her. She had half a mind to press it, but he looked so pleased that she couldn't bring herself to. She scrawled it across his cup. After a few minutes, it was ready.

"Doctor?" she called, looking around for the man. He bounded up to the counter and took the drink with a word of thanks. He walked back over to his seat and sat down, fiddling with some strange contraption. Rose went back to work. Every now and then she sneaked a glance at the strange man, the Doctor. She felt drawn to him for some reason; he was magnetic.

A while later there was a loud _bang_ from the general area of the Doctor. Rose gasped as her head snapped over to see him slightly singed, the contraption smoking slightly. It looked like no one had been hurt.

"Ah, yes... Well, I must be going then..." He said sheepishly, picking up his drink and still-smoking device. He bounded for the door, turning to offer Rose a cheeky wink.

"What's your name?" he asked, turning. He had one foot out the door, his body twisted at the waist to look at Rose.

"Rose," she said with a furrow between her brows, "Rose Tyler."

He nodded, seeming satisfied.

"Goodbye, Rose Tyler."

_Alright, maybe not just another dull day,_ she thought.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

"Mum," Rose called as she entered the Tyler's home.

"Up here, sweetheart!" Jackie said from the general direction of the stairs. Rose tromped up the stairs with a grin, already hearing her baby brother's tiny voice from the bathroom.

"Rose!" Tony cried as he caught sight of his sister, stretching his little arms toward her. He was slippery with water and soap from his bath.

"Hey, Tony," she said to the four-year-old, staying carefully out of his reach when she crouched down to talk to him.

"How was your day, little man?" she asked.

"Great! Dad took me to the park and to get ice cream and we saw this really cool dog at the park, Rose, even though dogs aren't allowed at the park, he was still there and he wagged his tail at me and I petted him and he licked me-"

"Breathe, Tony," Jackie said, rolling her eyes. Her son took in a huge gulp of air and grinned at his sister.

"Sounds like you had a busy day then," Rose said with a laugh. She turned to her mum.

"I think I'll take that vacation," she said simply, cringing when Jackie squealed.

"Oh, that's great sweetheart! I've already got everything planned for you! You'll take one of Pete's-"

Rose cut her off, "I'll take the train like a normal person."

Jackie frowned, "Fine, fine, but you're staying for a full week, no complaints!"

"Yes, Mum," Rose said, grinning fondly.

"Are you staying for tea?" Jackie asked, fishing Tony out of the tub and wrapping him in a fluffy towel.

"No, I just wanted to let you know that I was going on the vacation," Rose answered, already heading for the door.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow?" Jackie called after her.

"Sure! I'll have tea here," she said, walked to the stairs.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

When Rose got home, she began packing her bags. Jackie had texted her to give her all the details of her vacation. She would be going to St Ives and staying in some place called the Salt House. It was some sort of B&B with two rooms for rent. Jackie had apparently tried booking both rooms, but the South had already been taken. That was fine with Rose, it might give her someone to talk to while she was there. She was leaving in two days and she'd stay for a week.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

Rose sat at the table in the Tyler's dining room, laughing at a story that Tony was telling. At the young age of four, Tony was already a performer. Jackie and Pete smiled fondly at their children, gently reminding Tony to eat as well as tell his story.

"So, you excited about your vacation?" Pete asked, smirking when Jackie practically started bouncing in her seat.

"Yeah, I think it'll be alright," Rose said, answering Pete's smirk with one of her own. That was bound to get a rise out of Jackie.

"_Alright_?" she demanded, glaring at Rose.

"Yeah, you know, it'll be fine," Rose elaborated, biting her cheek to keep herself from smiling.

"_Fine_? Rose Marion Tyler, this is the vacation of a lifetime, you never know what'll happen! It'll be more than '_alright_' and '_fine_', it'll be amazing!" Jackie said, wiping Tony's chin of food.

"Sorry, Mum, of course you're right. It'll be fantastic, brilliant even," Rose admitted, tucking back in to her food. Jackie nodded in satisfaction.

"Have you finished packing, love?" Pete asked. Rose nodded, her mouth full.

"Good, I'll send a car round to take you to the train station when it's time for you to leave," he said, his tone allowing for no arguments. Rose nodded dutifully.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

The alarm blared from Rose's nightstand, shocking her out of her sound slumber. She had been having the best dream... Some mysterious man in a leather jacket with bright blue eyes had taken her to see the stars in a place very far from home. It was fantastic.  
Rose grumbled and smacked her alarm, silencing it. She slid out of bed, flinching when her feet met the cold floor. She quickly got dressed and pulled her duffel bag up on her shoulder, heading downstairs to wait on the car to pick her up. She had a long day ahead.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

The train clacked merrily beneath her as she settled in to her seat. She took out the book that she had brought along to read and buried her nose in it. She didn't notice the tall man with the wild hair as he bounded through her carriage and on to the next.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

Rose groaned as she stood up, stretching. Five bloody hours and she was finally here. This better be one amazing vacation.

She hailed a taxi and told the cabbie that she was going to the Salt House.

She arrived not too long after and walked up to the reception desk, telling the receptionist her name.

"_Rose Tyler?_" she heard a delighted voice behind her crow. She turned around, her brow furrowed.

"_Doctor?_"


	2. Chapter Two

"What are you doing here?" he asked, grinning like a loon. He was still wearing that coat, this time in a blue suit (still ill-fitting as ever) and his hair was even wilder than the first time she saw him.

"I'm takin' a vacation, what else would I be doing here?" she asked, grinning back at him. She couldn't help it, when he smiled at her like that, her lips took on a life of their own.

"You're staying here?" he asked. The receptionist was glaring at them for taking up her time with all their useless, obvious questions.

Rose nodded, "In the North Room."

"I'm in the South!" he exclaimed, bursting with excitement.

She rolled her eyes, there were only two rooms to begin with at the Salt House, if she was in the North, he _had_ to be in the South. She grinned at him, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth. She didn't miss the way his eyes latched on to it, his Adams apple bobbing. The receptionist cleared her throat. Rose and the Doctor both jumped, turning to look sheepishly at her. Rose finished checking in and the Doctor checked in after her.

"How long're you here for?" she asked as they walked toward their rooms.

"A week, you?" he said, gazing down at her. Damn him, he _was_ tall. A nice, tall, skinny bloke with a great smile and an amazing head of hair. Never let it be said that Rose Tyler didn't have a type. Not that she was interested in this total stranger, of course not. That would be mad. They'd only met twice now and the first time he set off an explosion at her job.

"A week," she said.

"Really? It seems like the universe is trying to tell us something, _Rose Tyler_," he said. Oh god, the way he said her name. It rolled off of his tongue like he was tasting the very letters that it was composed of. It sent shivers down Rose's spine. Or would have, had she been interested in him. She wasn't though, so it didn't matter. Didn't bother her in the least_. Certainly_ didn't tickle her pink. Nope.

"Yeah? What do you think that is?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

He sputtered for a moment, seemingly caught off guard.

"That- that- that- we should have some brilliant adventures together!" he finally managed

"Adventures?" Rose said, sounding skeptical. Rose Tyler, heiress of the Torchwood Estate, did not have many adventures.

"Oh yeah, love a good adventure, me! What about you, Rose? Do you like a nice adventure?" he asked, eyes bright and shining, the way they had been after he set off a minor explosion at Vortex Coffee. She found herself nodding without really meaning to, caught up in his manic energy.

"Good, great, brilliant!" he exclaimed. They had finally made it to the fork where their rooms were, time to part ways already.

"Well, guess I'll go check out my room," she said, stepping to the side a little.

"Or…" he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Or…?" she prompted, leaning against the wall.

"We could check them out together- for safety, of course!" he said. She grinned at him again. She thought vaguely that her face was going to start aching soon if she hung around him for too long.

"Safety?" she asked, "the last time I saw you y'nearly blew my job up!"

"Oi, it wasn't that big of an explosion! Just a minor one, barely singed my eyebrows, look! They're fine now," he rubbed a finger across one to prove his point.

"Why did that thing explode anyway?" she asked curiously. He tugged on his right earlobe.

"A minor miscalculation," he muttered.

"I'd hate to see a major one then," she said, shuddering playfully. He laughed.

"C'mon, let's go see these rooms. Didn't they look nice on the website? Oh, absolutely gorgeous! From the pictures, I could live in this place forever and be happy," he rambled, ruffling a hand through his hair. Rose laughed and nodded along as he continued to go on about all the research he'd put in to this trip. She had to dodge his rapid gesticulations a few times to keep from getting hit.

"_Oh, _this _is_ nice!" she exclaimed as they stepped in to her room. The North Room was absolutely gorgeous. The bed had a soft, goose down duvets, and huge, fluffy, white pillows. There was a huge sliding door which opened out to a balcony with a view of the beach. Two comfortable-looking white chairs sat inside, just in front of the glass doors. It was large, spacious, and comfortable. Her mum had told her that both the rooms had Wi-Fi, Blu-ray players, some DVDs, tea and coffee making facilities, and a mini-bar with complimentary drinks and snacks. Rose and the Doctor smiled widely at each other.

"Let's check out the bathroom?" Rose said excitedly. The Doctor held his hand out to her and wiggled his fingers in invitation. Rose took it without a thought. He tugged her toward the bathroom and they both gasped when it came in to view.

It was large, gorgeous, with a huge walk-in shower and double ended bath (which looked like it was made for two. Rose would think about that later.) It also had a beautiful view.

"Can we go see mine now?" the Doctor asked eagerly. Rose nodded, matching his eagerness. She didn't know what it was about this man, this near-stranger, that made her feel so comfortable, so at home. She fed off of his energy, feeling more alive than she had in a very long time.

They set off on the short walk toward the South room and the Doctor chattered away about nothing, about the selection of DVDs in her room, hoping that there were different ones in his so that they could share. He talked about the snacks in the bar, about his delight at their being complimentary. Apparently he wasn't a drinker, but when he found out that Rose did enjoy every now and then, he extolled the great selection of alcohol in the mini-bar for her, he told her that she was also welcome to his.

The South room was much more vibrant and colourful. Red chairs took the place of the white ones from the North room. They, too, were just in front of the glass sliding doors. The balcony in the South room had a view of the second beach which was near the Salt house. The bed had the same white duvet as the North room, but it had a smaller, grey blanket draped across it. Two throw pillows sporting the Union Jack sat in front of the fluffy, white pillows.

The bathroom was a little smaller than Rose's, but it had a walk-in shower, double ended tub, and view of the beach.

"I don't know about you, but I am _starving_!" the Doctor said once they were back in the bedroom.

"Yeah, me too," Rose said thoughtfully. She hadn't eaten in a long time and her stomach was letting her know by attempting to eat itself.

"Well," he drawled, grabbing her hand and dragging her out the door, their giggles bouncing off of the walls as they ran.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

"So, Doctor," Rose said, looking at him from across the table in the little café.

"Yes, Rose?" he asked, looking down at his menu. He paused his search to flash her an encouraging grin.

"What do you do? You know that I work at Vortex Coffee, but I have no idea where you work… Or who you are, for that matter. For all I know, you could be a crazy serial-killing stalker. Are you a professional serial-killing stalker?" she asked, grinning with her tongue between her teeth.

"Only on the weekends," he said, straight-faced. He and Rose held their expressions for a moment before both bursting into loud giggles.

"I'm a physicist," he said once they settled down.

"PhD?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yep!" he mirrored her, drinking from his cup as well. The straw made a horrific slurping sound as he finished his drink. He smiled sheepishly at Rose.

"Is that where the name comes from?"

"Nope!" he popped the 'p' and reached across the table. At first, Rose thought he was reaching for her hand. She was wrong. He snatched her drink up and finished it too.

"Doctor!" she whined, kicking his shin under the table.

"Oi, easy!" he whined back, reaching down to rub his leg.

"Don't steal my drink, then," she said simply, arching an eyebrow at him. The waitress came by and took their orders, fish and chips for both of them. She also refilled their drinks.

"So, Rose Tyler… tell me about yourself. If we're going to be seeing each other as much as we are for this next week, we may as well know each other."

"My mum and dad are Jackie and Pete Tyler, I've got a little brother called Tony- he's four. Hmmm… My best mates work at Vortex with me… I work a lot, even though I don't really need to. I like my job, keeps me busy, yeah?" she said, shifting uncomfortably. The Doctor had fixed her with an intense stare, causing her to forget every single thing that had ever happened to her.

"Pete Tyler, that's how you can afford to take a week off from work?" he asked in a friendly, curious tone.

"Yeah, the vacation wasn't my idea though, my mum actually forced me to take it," she said, laughing slightly.

"Jackie Tyler… I've heard she's a bit of a fireball," he said with a smirk. Rose nodded emphatically.

"You've got no idea."

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

"I'm so tired," Rose said as they walked back toward the Salt House. The Doctor nodded, humming.

"I may get to sleep tonight," he said absentmindedly. Rose's brow furrowed.

"Insomniac?" she guessed. He started, glancing over at her.

"Yeah, I don't sleep much," he admitted. There was something in his eyes, something muted, but definitely there. There was more to the Doctor's sleeplessness than just insomnia.

"Were you planning on going to the beach tomorrow?" he asked suddenly, changing the subject. His eyes cleared of whatever was behind them and he bounced in anticipation of her answer.

"Yeah, 'course. What else would I do?" she teased. He harrumphed.

"I was just asking… Do you want to go together? So that we have someone to talk to and to watch our stuff when we kip off to the loo and to force to get us snacks?" he asked, a hopeful light in his eyes. Rose should probably politely decline. She didn't even know this man. Having dinner and looking at their rooms together was one thing, but spending the entire day together, half naked? She should say no.

"Sure," she said, "I'll come by your room when I get up, yeah?"

"Perfect!" he beamed at her.

"Alright, goodnight, Doctor," Rose leaned up on impulse and wrapped him in a quick hug. He froze for a second before melting in to her embrace.

"Goodnight, Rose Tyler," he whispered. Rose shivered.

They parted ways, walking in to their rooms.

RTRTRTRTRTRT

The Doctor walked over to his bathroom, deciding a shower was in order before an attempt at sleep. He stripped down and got under the hot spray of water, letting it soothe his muscles. He noticed that they weren't as tense as they usually were at the end of the day. His thoughts drifted to the mysterious Rose Tyler. There was something about that woman, she drew him in like a moth to a flame. She was just a young girl, a coffee shop girl. A funny girl, a brilliant girl. She stood toe-to-toe with his wit, that wasn't something that he found often. He scrubbed his hair and body before stepping out of the shower. He wrapped himself in a fluffy white towel and dried off. He put on some boxer-briefs and a white t-shirt. Flicking off his bedside lamp, he crawled in to bed. His last thoughts were of Rose's tongue-touched smile before he drifted off.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor's eyes fluttered open as he slowly came to consciousness. He grinned as the memories from yesterday flooded his mind. He stretched like a cat in the warm morning sunlight, wondering how long it'd be before she got up. If he was very lucky, she was an early riser and they'd be able to hit the beach soon.

He sprung up from his bed and went to make some tea. He sat down in one of the vibrant red chairs in front of the balcony, sipping at his hot tea. He burnt his tongue on the hot, sugary liquid, of course. He did that every damn time. He poked his tongue out and crossed his eyes in an attempt to observe it. He was unsuccessful. Just like every other time he tried to check his tongue after burning it.

He shifted restlessly in his chair, glancing at the clock on the wall. He'd been up for ten whole minutes now and Rose seemed to still be asleep. He braced one palm against the chair, intending to get up and go check for himself. He sat relaxed back in to the chair, she would come when she was ready. He checked the clock again, noting that about forty-five seconds had passed since he last checked. He sighed, dropping his head against the back of the chair. It was going to be a long morning.

He stood abruptly from his seat, sloshing tea over the lip of his mug and on to his hand. He swore quietly, grabbing a towel from his shower last night to dry it up. He walked over to the desk, dragging a rather large bag with him. When he sat at the desk, he unzipped the bag and pulled out something resembling an old laptop. It seemed like it had seen some rough days, curling wires exposed everywhere. He grabbed some strange tools out of the bag and set to work tinkering away at the computer.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

Rose snuffled, waking up gently. Warm sunlight was filtering in, pouring over her. She rubbed at her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair, which was piled in a nest on top of her head from her enthusiastic sleeping maneuvers. Rose Tyler was not a gentle sleeper by any means. She slowly worked up the courage and will power to get out of the warm cocoon of her bed. Once she finally got up, she made a quick trip to the loo. Ready for the day, she grabbed her beach bag and walked toward the Doctor's room.

She trailed her fingers lightly along the wall as she walked, caught up in her thoughts. She was at his room without really remembering the walk there. She hadn't been thinking about wonderful hair or bright, beaming grins, not at all. Just as she was raising her hand to knock on his door, it swung open. Rose gasped, jumping back.

"Hello, sorry," the Doctor said, grinning sheepishly, "I heard you walking down the hall."

Was she seeing things, or was that a light blush on the tips of his ears? She smiled easily and shook her head.

"No problem, you ready to go?" she asked, raising her beach bag. That grin blossomed across his face again and he nodded, grabbing his own bag.

"Let's go," he said, offering his hand to her. She took it, taking in his attire for the first time this morning. He'd shucked his suit for a pair of dark blue swim trunks and a t shirt for a band that Rose didn't recognize. Rose herself was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a pink shirt.

"You look nice," he said, glancing down at her, he eyes lingering on her exposed legs for a second longer than he meant to. She smirked.

"Ta, you too." She tugged him faster, encouraging him to run with her.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

"I think we should probably have brekkie before we hit the beach, don't you?" the Doctor asked once they made it out of the Salt House.

"I'm starving! D'you think we can find chips?" Rose asked excitedly.

"You want chips at eight in the morning?" the Doctor asked, chuckling.

"Chips don't run on a schedule, Doctor. It's always time for chips," she said, bumping his shoulder with her own. He laughed.

"I bet we can scare up some chips for you, Rose Tyler."

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

They found a little diner that was serving chips and got themselves seated there. Rose ordered some chips and a burger. The Doctor, chastising Rose for not ordering proper breakfast, ordered a stack of banana pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

"How the hell do you eat like that and still look like- well, like that?" Rose demanded.

"Fast metabolism," he said with a cheeky grin, taking a sip of orange juice. Rose rolled her eyes and muttered about how unfair it was.

"Right, so fast metabolism, physicist, nice hair, that's pretty much all I know about you, Doctor. Tell us about yourself," Rose requested with a smile.

"Let's see… I love traveling, do it at every chance. Never let a vacation day go to waste, me. I'm actually an astrophysicist, I work at a university doing research. I've always loved the stars, when I was little my best friend and I used to star-gaze. Well, her granddad and I star-gazed. Donna just sort of complained," the Doctor chuckled.

"My best mate Donna works at Vortex, actually, I don't think I mentioned that to you. I was looking for her when I went there the morning we met."

"Oh, I love Donna! Yeah, she had an appointment and I was covering for her that morning," Rose said.

"Yeah, she told me that later. Honestly, I'm glad that you were there instead of her," he admitted, grinning. Rose raised an eyebrow at him, and his cheeks flushed.

"Because of the explosion, Donna would've had my head for that one," he muttered. Rose laughed. The waitress came and brought them their food, and they were mostly silent while they ate, a comfortable, companionable kind of silent.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

The two beaches that flanked the Salt House were both a ten minute walk away. The Doctor and Rose looked toward one beach, then the other, and headed toward the first one. There seemed to be a silent, mutual agreement that they'd visit the other beach tomorrow.

"So your brother, Tony, tell me about him," the Doctor requested.

"Tony's four, he's a great kid. Hilarious, he is, and smart too. Got such a gob on him! He loves telling stories, he insists that they're all one hundred percent true … He's a performer, that kid is. Not satisfied until everyone's at least got a smile on their face. Havin' a bad day? Go visit Tony Tyler," she said. The Doctor couldn't help but notice the way that she lit up when she talked about her brother.

"I love kids, me," the Doctor said, swinging their hands back and forth as they walked.

"Yeah? You'd adore Tony, you remind me a bit of him, actually," she said with a grin. The Doctor flinched inwardly. He wasn't sure what was going on with his feelings toward Rose Tyler, but he was one hundred percent positive that he did _not_ want to remind her of her little brother.

"Like a taller, madder version of him." She gave him that smile that turned his knees liquid. The one with her tongue just barely peeking out. He definitely didn't want to remind her of her brother.

The Doctor stuttered for a moment, his mouth opening and closing. Rose laughed, tossing her head back. They arrived at the beach, both stopping in their tracks.

"Wow," Rose breathed. The Doctor nodded along, eyes bright. The beach was breathtaking, all hot, white sand and clear blue water. It wasn't too crowded so the Doctor and Rose found a niche easily. They spread out towels to sit on and started stripping down to their suits. Rose was done first, though the Doctor had less clothes to take off. She was down to her pink suit in a flash, slathering sunscreen on her arms, legs, and stomach. It seemed like the Doctor had gotten distracted from simply taking his shirt off.

"If you're just gonna stand there with your mouth all agape, you could at least get m'back," she teased, offering him the bottle. He uncurled his fingers from the hem of his shirt, taking the bottle with a light blush.

"Turn," he said, squirting some sunscreen in his palm. He reached out to start rubbing it in to her skin.

"_You've got a tattoo?"_ he asked, sounding delighted.

Rose glanced back over her shoulder at him, eyes narrowed.

"Yeah," she said, sounding a little defiant. He beamed down at her shoulder, reaching out to stroke the tattoo with the pointer finger of his empty hand.

"A wolf?" he asked softly, peering at it even closer.

"Yeah," she repeated, sheepish now. The Doctor looked up at her, brow furrowed. There was a story here, he could feel it.

"What, like the Big Bad Wolf?" he teased. She nodded.

"That's exactly what she is, yeah," Rose blushed, rolling her shoulders.

"Why?" he asked simply.

"Well, when I was little, yeah? I was terrified of the Bad Wolf, dunno why. That's why I got it, conquering your fears and all, you know? But now… Now it feels like she's protecting me. That sounds daft, but it's true," Rose bit her lip, still looking at the Doctor over her shoulder.

"'She'," he asked, raising an eyebrow. Rose's eyes flashed.

"Yeah," she insisted, "what, the Bad Wolf can't be a girl?"

"No, 'course she can! I think that's right, actually. I think that's perfect," he said with a soft smile that Rose had trouble reading. It was incredibly tender, she wasn't sure that anyone had ever looked at her quite like that before.

"You gonna do my back, or what?" she asked, raising a challenging eyebrow. The Doctor jumped.

"Right, yes, of course." He dipped a couple fingers in to the cream in his palm and started rubbing in it to her shoulder. He took his time working it in to both of her shoulders and her back, he wanted to be thorough, after all.

"You got it?"

He licked his lips, pulling away.

"Yep," he said, popping the 'p'.

"And are you ever gonna take that off?" She gestured to his shirt, grinning teasingly.

"Oh, right, yeah," he muttered, whipping his shirt up and over his head. The friction left his hair wild. Rose's eyes skimmed up his legs to his chest. When she got to his chest, her eyes widened.

"_You _have a tattoo?" she demanded, eyes locked on it.

"Yes," he sounded affronted. His hand came to rest on the anatomically correct heart that was inked in to the right side of his chest.

"Why've you got a heart on your chest?" she asked, sounding confused.

"Well, where else would you put a heart?" he teased.

"Yeah, okay, but why'd you get it?" she pressed. Her hand drifted up and brushed his out of the way. She traced her finger along the beautiful tattoo. The Doctor shivered under her fingertips.

"I dunno, just felt… right… I suppose," he whispered.

"It's on the wrong side," she said, looking up in his eyes.

"What?"

"Your heart, it's on the wrong side," she repeated, her thumb still stroking it.

"It isn't!" he protested, subtly leaning in to her touch.

"It is though! Your heart doesn't go on the right side, your heart is on the left," she said, eyes wide.

"And why, Rose Tyler, would I need two hearts on the left side of my chest?" he asked.

Rose rolled her eyes, smacking his second heart lightly.

"C'mon, let's hit the water!" Rose said, her hand sliding to lace their fingers together. They laughed as they ran to the water, hot sand burning their feet and burning sun pounding down on their backs. They splashed in to the blue water, both sighing with relief as the cool water eased their hot skin. Once they got deep enough, the Doctor dove under the water. He came up sputtering, shaking his head. His hair flung water everywhere.

"Come on, Rose! You've got to get your hair wet!" he exclaimed, wading back to her.

"I will, I will! I'm just getting used to the water, that's all," she insisted.

"Oh of course," the Doctor said understandingly, nodding. He was slowly edging his way over to her, hoping that she wouldn't notice. When he got close enough, he dove back under the water and seized Rose by the ankles, taking her feet out from under her. A mix between a laugh and a shriek was cut off when she went under. They both came up a moment later, laughing and gasping for breath.

"You are so dead," Rose said darkly. The Doctor gave her a challenging grin, wiggling at her. She pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He gave a shout as he went back under the water, taking her with him. They wrestled under the water until they couldn't hold their breaths any more. They surfaced, laughing so hard that they weren't making any noise. They clutched at each other, supporting each other to keep from falling back under the water, which was apparently hysterical water.

They finally calmed down and separated from each other, standing on their own feet.

"Wanna race?" Rose asked.

"Only if you're not a sore loser," the Doctor taunted.

"You asked for it," Rose muttered. The Doctor laughed.

"Hmmm… from here to that old lady with the rainbow umbrella?" he suggested, eyebrows raised. Rose eyed the distance and nodded.

"Ready, set, go!"

They took off, arms and legs pumping hard. They were neck-and-neck for a while, but soon the Doctor's longer arms and legs began to give him an advantage. Rose allowed him to believe that she was getting winded, trying to get him to let his guard down. He did. Rose laughed inwardly, swimming hard just as they were nearing the lady. She finished a second ahead of him, whooping in victory.

"Cheater," the Doctor muttered, panting.

"How could I cheat at this?" Rose asked with a smug grin, between pants for air.

"Dunno, but you did," he insisted. Rose rolled her eyes. She seemed to do that a lot around him.

"C'mon, let's get back on the sand. I wanna tan," she said, making her way toward the shore. The Doctor followed her without question. They made it back to their beach towels and both flopped down on them, stretching out.

"You could use some real sun," Rose teased the Doctor. He turned his head to look at her with narrowed eyes.

"That's rude, Rose," he told her.

"It's not my fault you're so pasty, is it?" she asked, eyes closed, contented smile on her face. He smiled softly at her, humming in the back of his throat.

"Doesn't make it any nicer to bring up," he insisted. He could tell that her eyes were rolling beneath their lids and he breathed out a chuckle.

"Just be quiet and soak up the radiation, yeah?" she said.

"Fine, fine," he sighed.

"That doesn't sound like silence to me," Roes sing-songed.

They spent a long, exhausting day at the beach, playing and laughing and swimming. They stayed out until the sun went down, eating sandwiches that Rose had packed for them. The Doctor insisted that tomorrow he wanted to build a sandcastle. He told Rose that he was the best sandcastle builder in the universe. She was learning that he was either completely truthful when he made these claims, or lying terribly. There was no in-between with this man. They slumped back to the Salt House, practically leaning on each other for support.

"G'night, Rose Tyler," the Doctor said, words slurring. He leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead without thinking. Rose smiled.

"G'night, Doctor." They went to their rooms, took sleepy showers, and crawled in to bed, falling to sleep straight away.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose woke to the sound of rain pounding down on the sliding glass door. Her eyes fluttered open, confused. She turned her head to gaze out of the door, befuddled, eyes narrowing. She groaned as her brain finally registered the storm outside and just what that would do to her beach day. Her frustration had nothing at all to do with the fact that she was positive she'd not see the Doctor because of it. Her bare feet hit the floor with a dull thump as she rolled out of bed, just catching herself from falling flat on her face.

A loud knock on her door made her jump, startled. She tugged the strap of her vest top back in to place from where it had slipped down as she walked toward the door to open it.

"Rose?" a familiar voice called through the wood, causing a wide grin to blossom across her face. She flung the door open, grinning madly.

"Good morning, Rose Tyler," he said, his tongue caressing her name in that wonderful way that only he did. She tried to ignore the shiver and slight blush that it elicited from her.

"Morning," she chirped, tongue caught in between her teeth in a smile. She was suddenly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The Doctor was dressed in a simple white t-shirt and soft grey shorts. His hair seemed particularly surprised this morning, it looked like he had rolled out of bed and come straight to her room. Rose suppressed a smile at that thought.

"It looks like our beach day is cancelled," he said, leaning against her doorframe. She mirrored his posture, leaning against the door.

"Looks like it," she said, biting her bottom lip.

"So…" he drawled, "got and plans for the day?"

Rose laughed, shaking her head.

"Nah, just woke up and saw the rain. Have _you_ got plans?" she asked.

"Nope," he said quickly, popping the 'p'. Rose grinned even wider.

"Well," the Doctor drawled, sounding a little nervous, "I actually might have had an idea for some plans…"

"Oh yeah? What's that, then?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow teasingly.

"I thought that maybe I could stay in all day, watch the rain, watch some movies… But that's no fun on its own, is it?" he said, eyes hopeful.

"What, you want to spend all day vegging out together?" Both eyebrows were near her hairline now.

"I mean, I was just hoping to spend some more time with- Ahh, that is to say, didn't want to miss out on a whole day togeth- Errrr… I want, I mean, only if you want to spend the day-" he cleared his throat, cheeks flushed, "yes, I would like to spend all day vegging out together. If you want." Rose thought he might actually tug his ear off if he kept pulling on it like he was.

"Doctor, of course I'd like to spend the day vegged out with you," she said, laughing. The Doctor visibly relaxed, breathing out.

"Right, yes, well, which room should we stay in?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.

"We can take whatever we need from here and head back to yours," Rose offered, stepping back to invite him in to her room. He nodded jerkily as he stepped inside. Rose laughed at the look on his face. He looked positively shocked that she had agreed to spend the day with him, which Rose found odd since they had been spending all their time together on this vacation so far.

"Y'alright there, Doctor?" she asked over her shoulder, walking over to the DVDs to pick some out to bring with them.

"What? Yes, sorry, yes," he said, eyes wide. He was surprised that she had taken him up on his offer. Spending the day in the quiet of his room was very different from spending it together on a loud, crowded beach. Honestly, he was thrilled. He shook himself and joined her at the DVD collection. They picked out a good few that they wanted to see and raided the mini fridge for snacks, stuffing all their loot in to one of Rose's bags.

"Ready to go?" the Doctor asked, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Yeah, I think so," she said, looking around the room for anything else she might need. She caught her reflection in the glass of the window and blushed suddenly.

"What, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

Rose shook her head, muttering something under her breath as she fled to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, brushed her hair (which looked a bit like a tornado had gone through it), put a bra on underneath her vest top, kept her sleep shorts on, and returned to the main room, still blushing.

The Doctor blushed as well when he noticed her altered, slightly more put-together appearance. He couldn't help but notice she was missing a bra when he arrived, but he didn't say anything. What exactly could he have said anyway? 'Hey, Rose, you might wanna put a bra on because I can see your wonderful breasts quite clearly through that vest'? No, much more polite not to mention it. It's not like he was exactly bothered by the lack of a bra, was it? Not that he was looking, of course not. Well, not much. As soon as he had caught himself, he'd stopped. He didn't want to objectify Rose's body in any way.

"Doctor?" Rose repeated, waving a hand in front of his face. He jerked, coming back to the present.

"Sorry," he muttered, picking up their bag, "got lost in thought for a second."

"What were you thinking about?" she asked with interest. He blushed again, shaking his head.

"Nothing," he assured her, taking her hand and leading her toward the door. He couldn't get over how often he was blushing, he never blushed! He was blushing an obscene amount for a grown man, and it was all due to Rose Tyler. Somehow he knew she'd take delight in that if he told her. He decided to keep it to himself.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

"Right, make yourself at home," the Doctor said, spreading his arms wide.

"Was gonna do that anyway," Rose teased, plopping down on his bed. The Doctor grinned widely, sitting gracelessly down next to her. He ran his fingers through his hair and tapped his feet on the floor, gazing at Rose. Her breath caught when she saw what his tongue was up to. It was gliding along his top teeth, his eyes were on her mouth. Rose was pretty positive that he was about to snog the life out of her. Her breath sped up, they both leaned in, eyelids drooping. Suddenly, the Doctor sprung to his feet. Rose jerked back with a shocked gasp, eyes wide.

"So, a movie then?" he asked, tugging his ear with one hand and rubbing the back of his neck with the other. Rose breathed out roughly, wiping her hands on her legs.

"Yeah, yeah, sounds great," she said, nodding. That was close. Incredibly close. Too close. She'd have to watch that from now on. She'd fallen hard and fast for a man before, look how well that turned out for her. No, she'd do better to keep boundaries up with this gorgeous, manic genius. She knew he could feel it too, that they were slipping, falling, and it was too fast, too intense for the few days they'd known each other. She could easily see them returning home to London, becoming mates, best mates even, with the way they clicked. She'd like that, she'd like it a lot.

Being his friend for a long time to come would be much better than having a hot fling on vacation and going home, never to see each other again. That's what would happen, she was sure. Because the universe wouldn't let her have her cake and eat it too. She couldn't be with someone who made her feel like the Doctor made her feel, but she _could_ be his friend. They could have movies and pizzas and races. Maybe the universe would allow them that. Rose suspected that this arrangement wouldn't upset the universe too much because she'd still feel unfulfilled, while getting to keep him in her life. It would probably like that, actually. Knowing that her skin burned for him and there was nothing she could do about it. She'd learned her lesson with Jimmy, anyone who made you feel that way would be taken from you, or leave you, and then you'd be alone again, mourning for the good old days. She was pulled from her angsty thoughts by the Doctor's voice.

"Rose? Which one do you want to watch?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed. He licked his bottom lip, leaving it glistening in the wake of his pink tongue. Rose cleared her throat, pointing to a random movie. He nodded, popping it in to the Blu-ray player.

"Should we drag those chairs over here, or sit against the headboard?" he asked, shifting his hips in a little dance, back and forth from the chairs to the bed. Rose laughed, scooting up to the headboard and patting the bed next to her. He clambered up next to her, the two of them cuddling down under the duvet. Rose had meant to keep a respectable distance from him, but when he sidled up next to her like that, it was instinct to curl in to his warmth, resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled softly, swinging an arm around her shoulders and pulling her tighter to him. She hid a smile in his arm, getting it under control before turning her attention to the movie, which turned out to be Beauty and the Beast.

"What, really? Beauty and the Beast?" she asked with a delighted laugh.

"You did choose it," he reminded her shaking her shoulder a little.

"Yeah, but you gave me the option," she said, still looking pleased as punch.

"Love a good Disney movie, me," he said, completely unabashed. Like it wasn't difficult enough to keep her romantic distance from him, now he loved Disney movies too.

Rose sighed, snuggling closer to him, "I love this movie, it's my favourite Disney one."

He hummed happily in the back of his throat, resting his cheek on her head.

The Doctor's thoughts were wandering, though they stayed centred on Rose. He was developing some very intense feelings for the beautiful woman who was using him as a pillow. That was bad, very, very bad. He had a bit of a habit of ruining all the beautiful things in his life, one way or another. Rose Tyler was by far the most beautiful thing to ever enter his life. He couldn't help but think of how much it would hurt if he allowed himself to get attached to her and she was taken from him. More likely still, she'd leave him once she figured out how messed up he was. Early childhood trauma had warped him, kept him from developing normal relationships. The universe hated him, it was the only conclusion he could draw. It shoved this wonderful creature in his life just to taunt him, knowing that he could never pursue anything with her, couldn't risk either of their hearts that way. Maybe he could be her friend, her protector. Not that Rose needed anyone to protect her, that was, but he still liked the idea. The thought that she might need him for something. That was a beautiful thought, it made him feel like nothing ever had before. It sent a shiver of warmth through him. He'd do his best to be there for her, support her, and maybe one day she would need him.

Look at him, he'd known this woman for a few days! Why did it feel like an eternity? _Why did it feel like he already needed her? _The only thing he could think of was that he _did_ need her already, and he would do everything in his power to keep her in his life for as long as she wanted to be there.

"– Love this scene," Rose was saying when he tuned back in.

"What was that?" he asked, glancing down at the top of her head. She twisted to look at him.

"I said I love this scene," she said, biting her lip. All he could think was that he wanted to bite that lip for her.

"Mm, me too," he said, eyes locked on her lip. Rose noticed his line of sight and grinned, poking her tongue out the side of her mouth. She saw his breath catch when he saw her tongue, she could practically see his desire to suck on it. Her cheeks flooded with colour. They snapped their gazes apart from each other, both flushed, breathing heavily. Rose started chuckling at the madness of the two of them, the Doctor joined in. Soon they were both howling with laughter, clutching at each other and gasping for breath. The tension broke and they relaxed once the laughter subsided. They watched the movie in comfortable companionship, swapping details about their lives. Rose learned that he was adopted into Donna Noble's family, raised by her grandfather. Technically, he was her uncle, though they had grown up like siblings. When he was feeling particularly cheeky, he liked to remind Donna that she was actually his niece. The Doctor learned that Rose's biological father had died when she was a baby, and that Pete Tyler was actually her step-father. She'd grown up on a Council Estate with her mum, Jackie. Tony was her half-brother, the son of Jackie and Pete. Pete was like Rose's actual father, and had been from the start. Something about the two of them had clicked, they were closer than Jackie would have ever dreamed of. Rose had quit school before she got her A-levels, though she was wickedly smart. She'd done well on her GCSEs. She didn't say why she'd quit school. He didn't mention what had happened to his biological family. Today wasn't a day for the sadness that coloured both of their pasts, it was a day for getting to know the best of each other, basking in each other's presence.

"Oh, Doctor," Rose exclaimed suddenly with a wide grin. He knew that grin already. That grin was sure to mean trouble for him, because he could deny it nothing.

"Yes?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Dance with me?" she asked, looking at him from beneath her eyelashes. The famous ball room dance scene was playing. He sighed.

"Alright, alright," he said, standing up. He bowed, offering her his hand. Rose squealed, taking his hand and letting him pull her up to her feet. He pulled her close, resting his hands on her hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they swayed to the music, the room too small to allow for anything more. Rose rested her head against his shoulder, sighing in contentment. The Doctor reveled in that sound, realizing just how much trouble he was in.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

"I think we should go have dinner somewhere," Rose said a few movies later. They were just finishing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire now.

"Hmmm," the Doctor said, patting his stomach, "yeah, I could eat."

"I bet you could," she muttered, glaring at his flat stomach. He laughed, hopping up off of the bed.

"I'm just going to pop in the loo and change, meet you at your room?" he asked, headed toward the bathroom.

"Yeah, see you in a few!"

RTRTRTRTRTRTRT

He knocked on her door, tugging at the hem of his t-shirt.

"It's open!" Rose yelled, probably from the bathroom. He let himself in.

"You just about ready?" he asked, sitting on her bed.

"Yeah, just a minute," she said. The door opened soon after, Rose stepping out. They had both changed into jeans and t-shirts.

Rose offered the Doctor her hand. He took it happily and they headed for a chippy around the corner.

They walked in, a bell announcing their presence to the staff. They each ordered a basket of chips and took seats.

"So Doctor," Rose began nervously, biting her nail.

"Mhmm?" He encouraged with a soft grin.

"What's your real name? Your proper one?" She bit her lip, shifting in her seat.

"James," he said, looking her in the eyes, "James Noble."

She nodded, seeming satisfied, and very pleased that she hadn't upset him. She rested her head on her palm, grinning at him.

"That's a good name," she said, "got nothing on 'Doctor', mind, but a nice name still."

He laughed easily, his eyes sparkling. Rose laughed along with him. There was something dark in the Doctor's past, something that had hurt him terribly. Rose desperately wished to know, wanted to know every bit of him. She could already sense a change in him. A difference even between their day at the beach and their quiet day together watching movies. There was a relaxation of the manic energy that always accompanied him. He was still exuberant and excited of course, but it was less cover-up and more genuine zeal for life. Rose couldn't help the small part of her that hoped she had at least a little bit to do with that.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

"Do you wanna go back to your room, or would you like to watch some more films?" he asked, swinging their joined hands between them.

"I'd like to go to my room, shower, change, then come to yours," she said.

"We could pick up clothes from your room and you could use my shower," he offered, telling himself that it wasn't because he didn't want to spend time apart from her. Rose thought for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, that sounds fine," she said.

"Alright, great! Let's go get your stuff."

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

"Y'know, your bathroom is smaller than mine," Rose said through the door, already stripping down for her shower.

"Well, my room's prettier than yours!" he exclaimed, flopping down on his bed. He laughed as Rose mocked him.

She stepped under the hot spray of the water, moaning in relief. Her muscles relaxed under the soothing water as she shampooed and conditioned her hair. Next she washed her face and body, scrubbing them thoroughly. She was trying to keep her thoughts off the fact that she was naked in the Doctor's shower, but it wasn't going very well. She felt a familiar twisting in her stomach and tried to stamp down all thoughts of his wild hair and flailing fingers and that tongue of his that was always licking _everything_. She sighed in frustration at herself, turning off the water and stepping out, wrapping herself in a fluffy towel.

Soon the bathroom door opened with a puff of steam and Rose stepped out, wearing a hot pink vest top and pair black of pajama bottoms.

"Right, I'll hop in the shower then we'll start with another movie! I think we should keep up the Harry Potter marathon we started," he said with a grin. She nodded, ruffling his hair as he passed by her. He laughed in delight, slipping in the bathroom. Rose stared at her hand in amazement. She hadn't meant to ruffle his hair like that, she didn't know what had come over her. Clearly he hadn't minded though.

He was out of his clothes and under the water faster than he could blink, eager to return to Rose. _To the movie marathon_, he reminded himself, _the movie marathon. _He quickly washed his hair and body, keeping his hands above waist-level as often as possible. He toweled off, pulling on a pair of dark red boxer briefs and a blue t-shirt. He paused for a moment, wondering if he should put a pair of shorts on over his boxers. He observed himself in the mirror, gazing at his crotch and bum. He looked good. He decided to chance the boxers, if she said anything or looked uncomfortable, he'd put on some shorts.

He exited the bathroom, biting his lip. Rose greeted him, sounding excited for his return. He smiled madly, bounding over to the bed and flopping down, bouncing Rose up. She giggled, lifting the covers for him to get under. She'd noticed his boxer briefs, and was very supportive of them. If it were up to her, he'd wear just them all the time. They snugged up together, falling silent. Rose's head took its place back on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her. He flicked off the lamp and they settled in even further. Before they knew it, they had drifted off to sleep in each other's arms, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix playing in the background.


	5. Chapter 5

The Doctor snuffled, shying away from whatever was tickling his nose. He wasn't ready to get up yet, he couldn't remember the last time he'd slept as well as he had last night. The tickling at his nose finally won out and he opened his eyes, smiling lazily at the sight he was met with. Rose was curled around him, her head on his chest, his arms wrapped around her. His only thought was that this was a sight he could get used to. He jerked suddenly, shaking that thought from his head. The smile stayed stubbornly on his face, refusing to be dampened down. He sighed, pressing his nose to her hair and breathing in deeply. God, she smelled wonderful. He couldn't help but press a light kiss to the top of her head, his arms tightening around her.

Rose sighed happily, nuzzling in to the warm chest under her cheek. She froze, _warm chest?_ Shouldn't that be a pillow? What the hell had she gotten herself in to this time? Her eyes peeked slowly open, observing a chest that was covered in a blue t-shirt. It was a nice chest if she was honest, firm and strong, though lithe. Her head cleared as she realized whose chest it was, a blush creeping in to her cheeks. She was sleeping on _the Doctor's chest. _Oh god, this wasn't going to be good, he'd probably kick her out now and never speak to her again. He'd probably only let her stay this long out of politeness. She felt him shift, pressing his nose against her hair and breathing in. He kissed her head and pulled her even closer to his warm body. She relaxed, realizing that he didn't mind their arrangement. Rose turned her head, pressing her face to his chest. It took all of her willpower to keep from kissing him.

"Rose?" he whispered.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"You awake?"

"Obviously," she laughed quietly, smiling into his shoulder. He laughed along with her.

"Guess we fell asleep last night…" he muttered.

"Seems like it," she said.

"That alright?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," she answered quickly, assuredly. He grinned, nuzzling his face into her hair again. Rose laughed in delight, deciding that they could do with a bit of a cuddle before getting up.

"It's still raining," he whispered. Rose closed her eyes and hummed in the back of her throat.

"It's like Noah's bloody flood out there," she muttered. The Doctor laughed, rolling out of bed without warning. Rose flopped face-first on the bed, surprised at suddenly losing her support.

"Thanks for that," she muttered into the mattress.

The Doctor laughed, bent in double at the waist.

"Sorry, sweetheart," he said, walking quickly to the bathroom to relieve his bladder (and take care of a certain problem that had arisen during the night that he hoped Rose hadn't noticed yet). When the door shut behind him, he froze, realizing what he had called her during his quick escape.

"Shit," he muttered, banging his head on the door.

Rose was sitting on the bed, staring at the bathroom door. She heard a dull thump and grinned, imagining what he was doing. He emerged soon, still red-faced from his accidental pet name slip.

"Hello, love," Rose said teasingly, with a tongue-touched smile.

"Shut up," he muttered, blushing brighter. She heard him mutter something about how much she could make a grown man blush and it sent her in to a fit of giggles. The Doctor pounced on her, tickling her mercilessly. Rose squealed with laughter, squirming away from him. She squirmed right off the bed, the Doctor managing to keep her from hitting too hard with his arms wrapped around her.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, Rose," he gasped, pulling her back up next to him. He checked her for injuries nervously.

"I'm fine, Doctor, I'm okay," she said, putting her hands on top of his to calm his anxious fingers.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

"I'm fine."

"Okay, but I'm still sorry," he said, wrapping her up in a hug. Rose shook her head in exasperation, hugging him back.

"Alright, let me go you lump. I've got to go to the loo," she said.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

Once they were both dressed, they sat down in the chairs that looked out on the balcony.

"What are we gonna do today?" Rose asked, gazing at the rain pounding down on the glass.

"I heard there's a brilliant museum not too far from here, and there's a planetarium with an amazing midnight show. The clouds should be cleared out in time for it… If you want to see it, that is," he said.

"You gonna let me see some of that information you've got in that big brain of yours?" Rose asked with a teasing grin. The Doctor chuckled.

"Yeah, if you like," he said, holding his hand out to her. She took it, lacing their fingers together.

"I bet you know all sorts of useless information. You seem the type with your Einstein hair and those brainy specs and the suit that I saw you in," Rose said thoughtfully, gazing at him. Their linked hands dangled in the space between them, swinging.

"Oi, it's hardly useless!" he exclaimed, indignant. Rose laughed.

"Sorry sorry, I'm positive it's very important," she acknowledged, nodding seriously. He huffed, squeezing her fingers. She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing again.

"You never know what information will come in handy, Rose Tyler. It's best to be ready for anything." Rose nodded again, turning to look out the window with a smile.

"D'you think the museum is open yet?" she asked, running her thumb along his fingers unconsciously. He looked at the clock on his bedside table. His head cocked back and forth, face crinkling in thought.

"Yeah, should be… Will be by the time we get there anyway," he finally said. He and Rose stood up in synch, hands staying clasped.

"Let's go then!"

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

The Doctor and Rose arrived at the museum in about half an hour, after a comfortable taxi ride. It was spent in relative silence, Rose dozing against the Doctor's shoulder. He was wide awake, but more than content to play the part of Rose's pillow. He leaned his head against hers, murmuring random facts about museums to her softly.

When they arrived, he lifted his shoulder a little, nudging her awake.

"Mmm? I'm up," she said, sitting up quickly. The Doctor laughed.

"We're here," he said softly.

"Yeah, I know… because I'm up," she insisted, eyes still a little unfocused from her short nap.

"Right, 'course- sorry," he said with a smile, opening the door and sliding out.

"C'mon! So much history, so little time," he called, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Rose grumbled as she got out of the cab, stretching her back. He took her hand, tugging her toward the building. The Doctor chattered enthusiastically, a wide, beaming smile on his face. That smile was quickly becoming Rose's favorite sight in the world and being the cause of it made her knees weak.

"Okay, how come you know so much about museums?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I dunno, I've always loved them. I spend a lot of time in them, guess I picked some things up," he said, bumping her shoulder with his. She hummed in the back of her throat.

They wandered about the museum, the Doctor giving her a better tour than a guide probably could have. She didn't know how his head didn't explode from the sheer amount of information in it.

"And now we come upon… ancient Greece!" he exclaimed, reading the sign.

"Oh, you'll love ancient Greece," he said, leading her through the exhibit.

"Let's see what we've got here…" he bent down, reading the sign in front of the statue.

"A statue of the Goddess Fortuna! Said to bring good luck," he said, finally looking up at the piece of art. He gasped as his eyes landed on it.

"Rose," he whispered.

"Is it just me or does she look like… me?" Rose said, leaning closer.

"No, you're right! She does," he said, leaning in as well.

"Well isn't that wizard," he whispered, looking at Rose with a delighted grin.

"That's it," he said, "you're my Fortuna! You're my good luck charm."

Rose laughed incredulously, shaking her head.

"Like a four leaf clover or lucky pants?" she said, still laughing.

"Yes. You, Rose Tyler, are my lucky pants." He put his arm around her shoulders, guiding them away from Fortuna.

"Wait, let's take a picture!" Rose said, spinning around. She posed next to the statue and the Doctor took the picture with his phone, grinning like a loon.

"Beautiful," he whispered.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

They made their way through the entire museum, wandering until their feet were aching, laughing until they thought their sides would split.

"So, back to the Salt House for some movies until it's time to go to the planetarium?" the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we could order some food too, I'm starved," Rose said. They got a cab and headed back to the Salt House.

The Doctor was doing something on his phone. Rose leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder and was surprised when he turned the phone away from her. She looked up at him, an amused smile on her face. She noticed a light blush in his cheeks and knew she couldn't let this one rest.

"Whatcha doin' there, Doctor?" she asked, leaning around to try and get a glimpse at his phone.

"Texting your girlfriend?" Rose couldn't help but pray to god that he wasn't.

"No," he muttered, "I haven't got a girlfriend and you know that." He seemed a little affronted at the thought.

"Well what are you doing then?" she pushed.

"It's nothing!" he insisted, blushing harder.

"No way it's nothing," Rose said, shaking her head.

"C'mon, Doctor!" she asked, looking up at him from underneath her lashes. He sighed, grumbling under his breath as he handed her his phone. Rose's eyes widened, a soft smile coming to her face. The Doctor had set his wallpaper to the picture of her and Fortuna. Rose said nothing, handing him his phone back. She pressed closer to him, snuggling her face into his neck. The Doctor breathed out, wrapping an arm around her.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

They both dozed a bit on the ride home. They both woke up when the cab stopped in front of the House.

"What time is it now?" Rose asked sleepily.

"About six," he said without consulting his watch. He rubbed at his eyes.

"Really? That's it? It feels way later," she said, climbing out of the car.

"We had an eventful day," he agreed, getting out after her.

"I'm thinking Chinese," Rose said, lacing their fingers together and tugging him toward the entrance.

"Mmm, sounds good to me," he said, rubbing his stomach with his free hand.

"You order, I'll be meet you at your room in a minute, okay?" she said. He nodded and they parted ways.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

Rose packed a bag full of the things that she thought she'd need for the night and trooped back to the Doctor's room. She opened the door, calling to the Doctor that she was back. He was already in the bed, phone cradled between his shoulder and his ear. Rose smiled at the sight, dropping her bag and sitting down next to him. They ordered their food and settled in, starting up a movie.

"Y'know, I don't think I've ever watched so many movies in one week before," Rose said.

"Me neither," the Doctor said. When the delivery boy knocked at the door, he got up and got the food from him.

"Want to eat at the table, or in bed?"

"Hmm, table. I don't want to get crumbs in the bed," Rose decided, hopping up. They spread their meal out on the small table and tucked in. They shared containers, feeding each other bites and passing cartons back and forth.

"Oh shit," Rose said, pushing a carton away.

"What, what's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"I'm not sure, but I think there's pear in that one. Ugh, why would you do that? I hate pears. Give me an apple or a banana any day," she muttered, shuddering. She looked up at the Doctor, her brow furrowing at the look on his face. He looked absolutely awestruck.

"What?" she asked self-consciously. He just shook his head, beaming at her. He picked up the carton with the dreaded pear and tossed it in the bin.

"I hate pears too," he whispered to his rice, taking a bite. Rose breathed out a laugh.

"They're terrible, they are," she said, nodding.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

Hours later, they were finally on their way to the planetarium.

"Now you _really_ get to see my stuff," the Doctor said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"So that was just a teaser at the museum?" Rose asked, laughing.

"Oh yes! I'm all about a bit of teasing, me," he said with a giggle. Rose's eyebrows shot up, a startled laugh bursting from her.

"I bet you are," she said lowly, biting her lip. The Doctor's grin slid off his face and he swallowed hard.

"Yep," he squeaked out, clearing his throat. Rose shook her head, pulling him toward the door.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

They were seated in the main dome of the planetarium, giggling like children and waiting for the show to begin.

"Some people believe that there are parallel universes, you know," the Doctor said suddenly, looking in her eyes.

"Yeah? Like, universes that are like ours but a tiny bit different?"

"Some are a tiny bit different, some are very, very different," he said, wonder in his voice.

"What do you believe?" she asked, totally enraptured by him.

"I like to believe that they're out there," he whispered.

"Me too," she whispered back. They were leaning closer to each other with every word. They sprung apart suddenly when the show started without warning. They both laughed nervously, clearing their throats.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

They got into trouble for talking too much during the show. The Doctor had merely been giving Rose a more in-depth description of the wonderful universe around them, but when they told the worker that, they were still ushered out.

"I dunno about you," Rose said, "but I am knackered."

The Doctor stretched, groaning.

"Me too," he said, "can't wait to get back to the room and get some sleep."

A short cab ride later they were back at the Salt House, in the Doctor's room. They took quick showers and dressed for bed, the Doctor in boxers and a t shirt and Rose in shorts and a vest top like normal. They turned down the covers and got in to bed.

"G'night, Doctor," Rose whispered, laying her head on his chest.

"G'night, my Fortuna," he said, pulling her close. They drifted off to sleep quickly.


End file.
